Legal News

A Fort Wayne woman who kept more than 100 cats between two properties in deplorable conditions had her sentence for multiple
counts of criminal mischief and animal cruelty upheld by the Indiana Court of Appeals. The judges declined to revise her sentence
because it was appropriate given her character and the nature of the offense.

A man who was injured in an auto accident with a woman who died the following year cannot recover any funds from her estate,
the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled. But the trial court didn’t err in denying the estate’s motion to amend the
jury award, because it is a valid judgment despite that the man can only recover funds available under the policy limits of
the woman’s insurance policy.

The manufacturer of a chair that came down on a patron’s leg as she sat on it appealed the denial of its summary judgment
on the woman’s complaint, arguing the northern Indiana casino shouldn’t have been granted summary judgment. The
Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed Friday, but ordered more proceedings on Horseshoe Casino’s third-party complaint against
Gasser Chair Co.

The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications has released an advisory opinion addressing salary payments to judges and
judicial officers that may be made contingent on the number of cases filed with the court. The opinion cautions against accepting
compensation from sources that may lead to the appearance of influencing the court.

Those who hoped to learn how the Supreme Court of the United States will rule on same-sex marriage likely will need to wait
until next week. The U.S. justices issued three opinions Thursday, although none were from the highly anticipated cases before
them.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Indiana Youth Group challenging the authority
of the state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles to issue an order of remand on its administrative law judge’s order to
restore the LGBT youth group’s specialty license plate.

A mobile telecommunications group was unable to convince the Indiana Tax Court Tuesday that it was entitled to summary judgment
on the issue of whether it should have received a refund for paid adjusted gross income tax.

A man who refused to leave the side of a friend’s mother after she was hit while crossing the street in Indianapolis
had his conviction of Class B misdemeanor public intoxication upheld by the Indiana Court of Appeals Wednesday. The court
found sufficient evidence to sustain the conviction.

A protective sweep and subsequent search of a house following the issuance of a search warrant were reasonable under the federal
and state constitutions, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled. The defendant argued that the scope of the sweep – which
led to the discovery of drugs and paraphernalia – was impermissibly broad.

A Jackson Superior Court erred in denying a couple’s request to dismiss a protective order the wife had taken out against
her husband, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled, because the statute contains the word “shall” regarding the court’s
actions when one files for a dismissal of the protective order.

An Indianapolis attorney who faced felony charges for stealing more than $270,000 from an estate he managed pleaded guilty
and was sentenced to six years, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office announced Tuesday.

This time next year, Indiana may join the majority of states that collect DNA samples from people arrested on suspicion of
committing felonies, rather than only from those convicted. Lawmakers who’ve been stymied are encouraged by a Supreme
Court of the United States decision upholding the practice.

A naturally occurring DNA segment is not eligible for a patent simply because it has been isolated, the Supreme Court of the
United States ruled June 13. DNA that is not a product of nature may be patent eligible, however.

Although a man’s incriminating statements made while sitting in a police car should have been suppressed, the Indiana
Court of Appeals ruled the error was harmless because the physical evidence seized was sufficient to sustain his convictions.

A group of unionized workers laid off by an Indianapolis engine plant who brought an action for breach of the collective-bargaining
agreement didn’t provide enough factual content in their complaint to allow it to proceed in court, the 7th Circuit
Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.

A trial court doesn’t have the authority to modify a mortgage agreement without the consent of both parties participating
in a settlement conference if they don’t agree to the terms of a foreclosure prevention agreement, the Indiana Court
of Appeals ruled.

The Indiana Court of Appeals has found that a cardiologist’s breach of contract complaint may have been “unartfully
drafted,” but it still adequately stated a claim for tortious interference with a contract.

The Indiana Supreme Court has ruled the dispute over fines imposed on lawmakers resulting from Democratic walkouts during
the 2011 and 2012 legislative sessions is outside of the court’s authority to render a decision.